Books are my oxygen, they reflect not only my dreams, but the dreams of everyone who reads them. I review these books that get me through the tough days, as I hope they do for many others.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Love, Cajun Style

Synopsis:

Growing up is inevitable but confusing for Lucy, whose 16th summer unfolds with the sweet, languid pace of her small Louisiana town. Her mother might be having an affair, her best friend's boyfriend might be cheating, and somethings up with her favorite aunt's love life. There's romance brewing at the local retirement home, and the sexy new drama teacher doesn't seem to appreciate her baby-sitting skills as much as he seems to want something else–something that feels especially wrong compared to the feeling Lucy gets around blond, piano-playing Dewey. Her professed reticence to growing up seems mildly at odds with her perceptive nature, but overall her coming-of-age rings true. With a cast of distinctive characters, this story is told with humor and warmth and is deliciously full of Cajun metaphors and mouth-watering cooking descriptions–and one particular scene with Tabasco that will provoke squirms and giggling.

Review:

Diane Les Becquets did a wonderful job with this coming of age book. I really enjoyed every aspect and the story line seemed to flow so well. By reading this book you are taking a dip into a compltely different culture, even a little bit more different than typical southern culture. You get to know each character and their personalities, as none seems too small.

I would have to say my favorite part of this book was that it kept moving. It never seemed to dither off in places so that you could tell it was just a 'filler' chapter like some books I read. I did not expect something that happen, such as her mother's 'affair' or the way her teacher began coming onto her. I loved the Tabasco scene, I just sat at the desk giggling (and blushing a bit I might add) at the fact that they had even thought up a scheme like that (although now it has given me ideas for a comeback to a male, haha). Lucy seemed like the typical girl in the beginning having the typical teenage summer in her coastal town. But as the story progresses, you see her grow and transform from a girl into a young woman as her maturity level seems to escalate as she is given more situations she needed to face. I particularly enjoyed that a topic that normally is not discussed was approached in this book...affairs. It seemed like everyone was having one (mind you, they weren't) when in the end, it was just people needing to find themselves. But regardless of that, it showed how an affair in an relationship can affect not just the couple, but also their children, friends, and everyone else around them.

Overall I thought this was a really good book. It is the perfect coming of age tale with a little bit of spice, Cajun spice that is.